GOOD PROGRESS

Evening Star, Issue 24916, 14 July 1943, Page 3

GOOD PROGRESS

CAPTURE OF PALAZZOLA LARGE-SCALE BATTLE SOON (Rec. 12.50 p.m.) LONDON, July 13. The Allied forces in Sicily are making good progress south-east and along the east coast, state the latest despatches from the invasion front. The general picture is that the 7 Allies now have a great belt of South-eastern Sicily in their hands, including a valuable 40-mile strip of railway. The spearheads are at places 20 miles from the • coast, with reconnaissance units, including tanks, even further inland. Artillery duels are being fought and local enemy counter- " attacks have been dealt with. Our troops are moving forward to engage the enemy forces coming down from the north, and a large-scale battle is expected soon. ' The Times ' Algiers correspondent say& -the' prospects of an advance; by Allied mechanised units well into "the untn aaiiuj uiaas pnßjsx 9i\% jo qicaq hitherto as a result of the occupation of points on the borders of the Catanian plain. The capture of Palazzo'a (on the railway at least 20 mile 6 inland from Syracuse,), which almost overlooks the Catanian plain; is of considerable importance. The town is astride the only road arid the only railway westward from Syracuse. The capture thus closes one of the avenues wherehy the enemy might have sent forces against the port. The-bitterest fighting bo far has been east of Gela, where the advance at best has been slower than on the right of the Allied line. The Germans are now appearing in this sector, in which the Italian field troops are..proving better fighters than their comrades of the coastal divisions. ATTACK ON CONVOY. ' Allied planes have smashed an Axis convoy which was attempting to carry reinforcements to Sicily. Beaufighters on ; the Sardinian coast on Sunday and yesterday attacked the convoy, 6ank two merchantmen, and badly damaged another.' Two destroyers were set on fire from stem to stern. Two large troopships are believed to have been hit. In the attack the- Beaufighters had often to fly through withering gunfire, (from Italian destroyers and the planes escorting the convoy. The attack was carried out under hazardous conditions in the narrow channel between Sardinia and Corsica. The leader of the Beaufighters attacked the largest troopship from such close range that he could plainly see the soldiers crowded on the decks.